46 articles
Browse 46 independent guides about health insurance: plain-English explainers, worked examples and tips for comparing insurance coverage.
Medicare's Extra Help program sets 2027 copays at up to $5.80 for generics and $14.40 for brand-name drugs, with a $0 deductible. Who qualifies, the 2026 income limits and how to apply before open enrollment ends.
Medicare Savings Programs can pay your $202.90 Part B premium and more. The 2026 QMB, SLMB and QI income and asset limits, which states allow more, and how to apply before 2027.
How small businesses can offer health insurance for 2027: group plans, QSEHRA and ICHRA compared, what coverage costs, the SHOP tax credit, and the November 15 to December 15 window that waives participation rules.
A high-deductible health plan (HDHP) costs less each month and unlocks an HSA, but you pay more before coverage kicks in. A PPO costs more upfront and less when you need care. How to compare the two at open enrollment, with worked numbers.
An HSA is yours to keep and invest but needs a high-deductible plan. An FSA works with almost any plan but is mostly use-it-or-lose-it. How the two accounts differ, which one fits you, and when you can have both.
Supplemental life insurance, also called voluntary life insurance, is extra group term life you buy through work. How it works, spouse and dependent coverage, guaranteed issue limits, age-banded costs, and whether it's worth it compared with an individual term policy.
CMS released the 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D star ratings on October 8, 2026. Fifteen plans earned 5 stars, down from 22. What Medicare star ratings are, how they are calculated, the 5-star special enrollment period, and how to use the ratings during open enrollment.
OPM says federal employees and retirees will pay 10.9% more on average for FEHB in 2027, and Postal enrollees 8.2% more for PSHB. Open Season runs November 9 to December 14, 2026. Here are the numbers, the nine plans leaving, the new GLP-1 rules and how to compare FEHB plans.
Fewer employers cover GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, and 14% have dropped or plan to drop them by 2027. How to check whether your insurance covers Wegovy or Zepbound, why claims get denied, how to get coverage approved, and what it costs if you pay cash.
On September 3, 2026, CMS and the SBA renamed the individual coverage HRA (ICHRA) the CHOICE Arrangement. The rules did not change. Here is how it works, the pros and cons for employers and employees, ICHRA vs QSEHRA, and the new 10.22% affordability test for 2027.
The 2027 health FSA limit is expected around $3,500 when the IRS announces it this fall, while the dependent care FSA limit stays at its new $7,500. The rules, deadlines and how much an FSA can save you before open enrollment.
The IRS has set 2027 HSA contribution limits at $4,500 for self-only and $9,000 for family coverage, with a $1,000 catch-up at 55. The 2027 HDHP rules, who can now contribute, key deadlines, and how to get the most from your HSA.
